The present invention relates generally to a gardening implement, and more particularly to a tree pruner capable of a series of continuous scissors actions to facilitate the removing of dead or living twigs of a tree or shrub.
As shown in FIG. 1, a tree pruner of the prior art comprises two handles 11 which are pivoted together by a pivoting member 12 and are provided at one end thereof with a blade 10 fastened therewith. A tree twig is put between the two blades 10 and is then cut by the scissors action of the two blades 10 at the time when the two handles 11 are moved toward each other, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In the event that the tree twig is not severed by one scissors action, a second scissors action is called for. In order to execute the second scissors action, the two handles 11 must be moved away from each other at the same time, thereby causing the cutting edges of the two blades 10 to move away from the incision made into the tree twig during the first scissors action. It is conceivably inconvenient and time-consuming for an operator to put the displaced cutting edges back to the original incision before the second scissors action is effected. Without putting the displaced cutting edges of the blades 10 back to the original incision, the operator is likely to relocate the incision. The relocation of the incision often results in a waste of energy and time as well as a failure in attaining the pruning objective that is intended.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a tree pruner which is free of the shortcomings of the prior art tree pruner described above.
In keeping with the principle of the present invention, the foregoing objective of the present invention is attained by a tree pruner comprising two handles, a fixed jaw plate, a movable jaw plate, a gear, a check plate, and a push plate. In the act of effecting the first scissors action, the check plate and the push plate are engaged with the gear, thereby causing the movable jaw plate to turn counterclockwise such that the blade of the movable jaw plate moves toward the jaw portion of the fixed jaw plate. In effecting the second scissors action, one of the two handles is moved away from other one of the two handles, thereby causing the check plate to prevent the gear from turning counterclockwise. In the meantime, the movable jaw plate remains stationary such that the cutting edge of the blade of the movable jaw plate remains in the incision made into the tree twig in the first scissors action.